Saturday, January 5, 2008

Yoo Hoo Lulu...!

Recently the subject of listening to audio recordings of previous genealogy conference programs was being discussed. These lectures are chock full of excellent ideas to help you with your ancestral quest.

Someone said that they thought that they were available through the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the location where the 2007 Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) held their annual conference. So after checking the on-line catalog at ACPL and not finding much, I made a telephone call and a very nice man explained that they do not sell, rent or loan any conference tapes and suggested I contact FGS directly.

So after checking the FGS website I was directed to www.lulu.com to download these audio files, (we used to call them audio tapes.) Evidently the company or people that formerly used to tape record these conference lectures and then sell the tapes, is not pursuing this program for what ever reason.

Well on lulu you may purchase the audio programs that they do have for $1.99 each, or in some cases batches of say 15 lectures may be downloaded together at the discount price of $25.00. I did purchase and download two batches from the 2006 FGS conference that was held in Boston, and I must say, they are extremely helpful in getting the juices flowing. For 50 bucks I have many hours of learning ahead of me. You sure can not afford to get this much information for such a low cost anywhere. I can guarantee you that it is a LOT cheaper that spending a week in Boston!

Lulu is a specialty publishing house that works with people exactly like you and me. The frustrated author, or author wannabe, that has a great idea to publish a family history in small quantities but will never do it due to the expense of working with a regular publishing house because of the expense. Well lulu will hold you by the hand and do all of the work of publishing the file you send them and create a very professional looking book, for next to nothing, and then you can purchase one or as many of them as you might want. You set the price, you retain the copyright, and the book becomes part of their catalog. When someone else purchases a copy of your baby, then you even get paid a ROYALTY!

Sounds like a pretty great idea to me. I have seen some of the work that they have published, as a friend of mine has been having annual calendars made there. All he does is send lulu the photos and he receives back as many calendars as he wants to order. The printing and quality of the final item was superb, in my opinion.

I do not have a nickel involved in this, and I am not receiving any type of benefit from this posting. I just thought you might want to know about www.lulu.com

Digg!

(genemisc)

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